Have you been looking for the perfect everyday carry knife, but just aren't sure about which one to pull the trigger on? This could be your ticket. The Gerber Assert knife checks all the boxes for me in a foldable pocket knife that I can carry every day. I hope to have this knife for a long time, as long as I don't forget to leave it home or in my car next time I go to a concert. I lost a James Brand knife last year, because I forgot to take it off going to a Dinosaur Jr. Concert and the security guards took it and told me I could get it after the show, but after the show they were long gone and one of the security dudes ended up with a new knife.
This Gerber is not like other Gerber knives that I have owned in the past. All of the other Gerber knives I have had previous to this one have been more on the budget end of the spectrum ranging from $25 - $40 that I picked up at Walmart. They were great for what I paid for and they did their job fine, but they just were never what I would consider a super high quality knife. When I unboxed this Gerber Assert Knife I could immediately tell a massive difference in quality of the Gerber knives I've had in previous years. Gerber has definitely moved into the premium knife space with this one. And it looks like a lot of their newer products have gone that direction as well.
The first thing I noticed was how incredibly light the Assert is! You can't even tell it's in your pocket. But it feels super solid and high end. Here are a few specs on the Assert.
Blade Material - S30V Stainless Steel
Wieght - 1.87 oz.
Overall length - 6.95"
Closed lenght - 3.97"
Blade length - 2.98"
I am a big fan of the customizable carry this knife has. The assert has an ambidextrous pivot lock and clip and you can adjust the thumb stud to gain more leverage or just get a more natural feel based on hand and finger size. The deep carry pocket clip is nice and keeps the knife down and out of the way, however I do wish the end of the clip didn't have the outward bend. Some of my shirts that are a bit longer tend to catch on these type of clips although I haven't experienced that on this knife yet. I like the clips that stay flat a bit more, but it's not a big enough complaint to kick it out of my pocket.
While this will be left up to personal opinion, I really like the texture of the handle. It's a textured glass-filled nylon with a honeycomb interior for strength and durability. It feels like a super fine grit sandpaper. It's not rough by any means, but it feels like it won't slip out of my hands at all. It has a lanyard hole as well if you want to hang it or keep it secured that way.
The Assert feels super strong and stiff despite how light it is. It has a very balanced feel as well. The only thing I could ask is that the handle be just a bit wider as I have pretty large hands. Opening the blade was a bit stiff at first but after using it over the past couple weeks it has broken in nicely and opening and closing the blade is extremely smooth.
The Assert comes in 3 different colors, or you can build your own through Gerber's custom builder, where you c an pick different colors of handles, hardware and laser mark blade prints and colors.
This knife does have a higher price point compared to other knives out there, but you are paying for noticeable higher quality in material and functionality with the Assert. This knife has won the place in my pocket for daily carry and I will be using this one for the foreseeable future for just about everything.
PROS: CONS:
Lightweight Outward bend of clip
Adjustable carry Cost may be high for some for a knife
High Quality Materials Width of handle might feel a bit smal for bigger hands
Customizable
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